weld

verb \ ˈweld \

Updated on: 12 Apr 2018

Definition of weld

: to become or be capable of being welded

1 a : to unite (metallic parts) by heating and allowing the metals to flow together or by hammering or compressing with or without previous heating

b : to unite (plastics) in a similar manner by heating

c : to repair (something) by this method

d : to produce or create as if by such a process

2 : to unite or reunite closely or intimately

architecture that welds the past and the present

—

weldable

play \ˈwel-də-bəl\ adjective

See weld defined for English-language learners

See weld defined for kids

Examples of weld in a Sentence

She learned how to weld.
We welded the beams together.
They were welded together in friendship.
His style of painting welds impressionism with surrealism.

Recent Examples of weld from the Web

Sometimes, these blobs are even made up of two different types of gum that have welded together.

— madeline fass, Vogue, "How Carrying a Celebrity-Approved Micro Bag Changed This Vogue Writer’s Life," 28 Mar. 2018
Metal bars and tubing were welded into the frame to expand the device.

— kim tong-hyung, The Christian Science Monitor, "Repair shop plays vital role during Paralympics," 15 Mar. 2018
Metal bars and tubing were welded into the frame to expand the device.

— kim tong-hyung, Fox News, "Repair shop integral part of competition at Paralympics," 15 Mar. 2018
The tanks are quite simple, just metal welded into an inner and outer tank to create a vacuum seal—no moving parts.

— megan molteni, WIRED, "What Keeps Egg-Freezing Operations From Failing?," 13 Mar. 2018
For Ross, learning to weld was the biggest challenge.

— libby solomon, baltimoresun.com, "Building careers: Arbutus training program draws women to carpentry," 12 Mar. 2018
Many of the photos are in low light, lit only by the sparks of welding torches or the lime green glow from work lights, creating an otherworldly atmosphere and a dance of shadows.

— jeff suess, Cincinnati.com, "Our history: ‘Through the Lens’ book shows Music Hall transformation," 31 Jan. 2018
There are dozens of vise grips that have been modified in these shops to perform specific functions known only to the men and women who welded the modifications.

— david kiley, Popular Mechanics, "GM Makes Money, Closes Factories," 15 Nov. 2010
Brackets for the bolts were not properly welded to the pipe segments.

— james bruggers, The Courier-Journal, "Kentucky regulators slap LG&E with highest-ever natural gas pipeline safety fine," 16 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'weld.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of weld

alteration of obsolete English well to weld, from Middle English wellen to boil, well, weld — more at well

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1599

See Words from the same year

weld

noun

Definition of weld

1 : a welded joint

2 : union by welding : the state or condition of being welded

See weld defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of weld from the Web

Among the reasons for the flaws in steel buildings were problems in welding technique and inspections, the filler metal used in the welds and the basic configuration of the connection between vertical columns and horizontal beams.

— rong-gong lin ii, latimes.com, "Garcetti wants better earthquake safety for L.A.'s day care centers, private schools and steel towers," 2 Mar. 2018
The company even installed an all-new weld shop with 342 robots to make the Accord’s redesigned metal body.

— john lippert, The Seattle Times, "Robots take a back seat as humans build the best new car you can buy," 28 Jan. 2018
The company even installed an all-new weld shop with 342 robots to make the Accord’s redesigned metal body.

— Bloomberg.com, "Robots Rejected: Humans Still Build the Best New Car You Can Buy," 23 Jan. 2018
The chassis is fashioned from high-strength steel, with some added strength via structural adhesives that bolster the various welds to keep things nice and rigid.

— jonathan m. gitlin, Ars Technica, "The Internet’s favorite car of 2018 is the Kia Stinger GT, and it’s good," 15 Nov. 2017
Michigan Department of Transportation inspectors look closely at the metal welds, the wire ties and the concrete pours on the construction of the I-75 bridge over the Rouge River in Southwest Detroit.

— john wisely, Detroit Free Press, "Rebuilding in Detroit: The I-75 bridge over the Rouge River," 26 Sep. 2017
One of the biggest challenges was keeping the welds perfectly straight and parallel on the curved wedges, welding lead Jon Street said.

— william thornton, AL.com, "Anniston attempting to lure battery technology research facility," 30 Aug. 2017
Stress tests showed that the weld was roughly equivalent in strength to the spider silk itself.

— john timmer, Ars Technica, "Researchers use lasers to weld spider silk to kevlar," 16 Aug. 2017
Extruder printers use vertical layers of plastic to create their products, 3D printers that trade in metal often use lasers to essential weld powder to itself.

— david grossman, Popular Mechanics, "An Extremely In-Depth Demo of How 3D Printing Works," 7 Aug. 2017

First Known Use of weld

1831

WELD Defined for English Language Learners

weld

verb

Definition of weld for English Language Learners

: to join pieces of metal together by heating the edges until they begin to melt and then pressing them together
: to join or bring (people or things) close together